I'm sorry.

The pretentious attempt failed.

Ji Jue had only counted to four when a scream came from the end of the corridor.

Angel, who was sprinting, suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground, declining and trying to push himself up from his dizziness, only to find that his left foot, like a rotten fruit, had fallen off his leg.

Then came layers of peeling skin from his hands and limbs.

It was as if strong acid was rampaging inside his body, churning from inside out, eroding his viscera, organs, and even flesh. By the time the nerves belatedly perceived the pain, it was already too late.

"What is... this... what..." he mumbled, his eyes widening in confusion, then everything went dark as his shattered eyeballs fell from their sockets.

He couldn't see his own rapidly mutating limbs.

As the crowd of bone ash mingled with mercury was stimulated, it began to spread mutations.

Such an amount outside of the Time Ruins might have allowed him to cling to life for another two or three days, then die in agony and despair. But here, within the Time Ruins filled with the aura of mutation, the process was unbelievably fast.

Blood mutated under the invasion of the evil breath, decomposing the flesh like strong acid rapidly. In the collision with the Matrix and blessings, large patches of blood combined with metal, turning into sharp prisms protruding from inside the body.

Soon, under the hissing stench and thick smoke, only a contorted metal husk reminiscent of postmodern art was left, pierced by strange crystalline prisms.

It looked like a silhouette from hell.

A sinner eternally tormented in agony.

In the end, a slight push from the cart in front caused it to shatter into pieces.

"Is it over?"

Ji Jue looked up to see Tong Hua excitedly dancing around the corner and couldn't help shaking his head. They had managed to kill only two using invisibility, poisoning, and assistance. Why was she so pleased with herself?

Could it be that she'd never claimed a head while at the Security Bureau?

The excitement... What had gotten into the kid?

In truth, not claiming heads was the norm—ether babies as handy as Tong Hua, after completing initial searches and investigations, should be cautiously stored back in the safe and locked up twice for good measure. The rest of the team could then surge into the enemy nest, slashing and hacking, feeling secure.

Going to the field in person?

Has she lost her mind?

Tough and tiring tasks were for the Ruins, the crowd, White Deer, and other men on the ground, right?

Ji Jue sighed and looked around, sensing no real connection to the situation.

It was all too dull.

Utterly bland.

Shouldn't such skirmishes be thrilling contests of wits and valor, retreating as they fought, probing continuously until seizing the weakness and making a desperate counterattack?

Now, it seemed to lack any challenge!

A well-rounded three-person team with all the roles of output, control, and tank had resolved this with ease, as if cutting vegetables, and afterward didn't even seem to have broken a sweat; their leisure akin to retirement. Was this really the daily life of the Security Bureau in the Northern Mountain District?

Too decadent!

How could growth occur in such a comfortable greenhouse?!

No, this useful too... team member had to be kept somehow.

Ji Jue's thoughts raced, and his gaze towards Tong Hua softened, brimming with tender affection and irresistible sweetness.

He had to seize the opportunity to grasp more leverage over her!

Miss Tong, surely you wouldn't want...

In the moment Ji Jue was contemplating, Tong Hua, who had still been happily foolish, suddenly turned around warily, "Are you thinking of something bad again?"

Tsk...

"No, no, I'm happy for you!" Ji Jue smiled and clapped, exuberantly even as the Ghost Fetus on the ground waved its four little hands clapping along, "Congratulations, Tong Hua, you've grown!"

In the chilling breeze, a man in a white lab coat, a faceless ghastly creature, clapping around her, with blood spreading around the corpses on the ground and a druggie completely high, babbling white foam convulsively.

No touch of emotion, only a chill.

"It's getting weirder and weirder!"

As they spoke, deep footsteps suddenly sounded from the end of the corridor.

They exchanged glances, and in an instant, Ji Jue reloaded her pistol and tossed it to her before Tong Hua disappeared into thin air.

Leaving only Ji Jue to turn and look towards the approaching footsteps.

From the chaotic, deep voices, one rigid figure after another, like living corpses, sniffing the scent of blood, headed straight towards this place.

After rounding the corner and noticing the unexpected figures, they suddenly stopped in place.

Those pale faces with expressionless eyes rolled back, showing no glint of awareness, their movements stiff and rigid, drool slowly dribbling from the corners of their mouths.

Most importantly...

...all of those were alive!

Now, while still alive, they were like corpses, completely unresponsive, turned into Puppets.

Literal living corpses.

"Hm?"

Seemingly surprised, a voice emerged from the crowd, and a somewhat hunched figure slowly stepped out from among the puppet-like living corpses.

The pale-faced figure looked up at Ji Jue and turned his eyes toward the invisible Tong Hua.

After a long pause, he nodded in understanding.

He solemnly spoke, "Please don't be nervous; I'm just a researcher passing by."

"Such a coincidence," Ji Jue chuckled, "me too."

"I know, the little thing is quite unique... How did you make it?"

The newcomer crouched down, stretched out a hand and started to play with the famished Ghost Fetus, examining it closely. "Hmm, although the biological part is a mess, the spiritual part is quite uniquely preserved.

Hmm, I see... Same style as those spiders you made before, right? I thought our sterile room was infested with bugs, got me quite heated for a while."

During the conversation, he carelessly got one of his fingers bitten by the Ghost Fetus, which was then crushed and swallowed, but he nonchalantly shook his hand, and soon a new finger grew out.

Just like that, he casually put the Ghost Fetus aside and kicked it away with his foot.

He gestured towards Ji Jue with an extended hand.

Ji Jue waved his hand and didn't make contact.

At this moment, he carefully studied the newcomer's appearance but did not sense any malice. Wary, he did not make a move, just asked, "How may I address you?"

"Xie Lan, the 'Xie' of gratitude, and 'Lan' of mountain breeze."

He did not hesitate or conceal anything, directly revealing his name, even going to the extent of pulling out a business card from his pocket and offering it with both hands.

Cliff City Sports Medicine Center head physician, Xin Xiang Sanatorium director...

The string of titles made Ji Jue's eyebrows twitch uncontrollably.

Why do you have so many titles?

Then right before Ji Jue's eyes, that hunched body slowly straightened up, and amidst the creaking of bone joints, the face changed, peeling off like old wallpaper; amidst the writhing flesh, it reformed into a face full of amiability, with a gentle smile.

"The remnants of Cliff City come and go, but there're only so few; you don't look like you're good at selling hooks, nor are you some noble scion... Hmm, could it be you are a distinguished disciple of the master from Tide Sound Workshop?"

He nodded knowingly, firmly stated, "It must be Mr. Ji, right?"

"..."

Ji Jue's face twitched uncontrollably, "Am I that famous?"

"After all, you are the genius who rediscovered Fluid Alchemy. I too have conducted similar research and am deeply interested. I hope to see your paper soon."

Xie Lan grinned, "Please rest assured, if we're really pulling connections, I'm sort of a junior of Master Zhang myself, so I wouldn't start a fight with someone from the Security Bureau here."

After a brief pause, his bizarre eyes that kept splitting and merging looked past Ji Jue, his smile mischievous, "Just didn't expect the Tong family of Heavenly Listening to be as unlucky as a common Chosen One like me."

He glanced twice in Tong Hua's direction, confidently naming her heritage.

"Do you know each other?" Ji Jue asked, slightly turning aside.

Tong Hua did not show herself, just said, "Met once."

She originally wanted to say, he's a nerve case from the Vortex System, be very careful. But on second thought, you're a nerve case too!

You two together might just cancel each other out.

Here I am, an ordinary mortal, shivering in fear, hardly fast enough, let alone worrying about others!

"This time, you guys really did me a big favor."

Xie Lan smirked briefly at the bodies on the ground, "These guys came to persuade me to join under the Holy Spirit. Their tone was pretty aggressive...

If it wasn't for you, they'd probably have come knocking on my door next.

I'm not good at fistfights."

"Exactly, exactly, us cultured people always suffer," Ji Jue empathized, nodding without hesitation, sighing deeply.

We're all researchers, how could we be good at throwing punches?

We usually work on others...

In the brief exchange of small talk, Tong Hua had completely zoned out.

Watching these two nutcases confirm they were on the same side, they quickly started flirting by the corpses, complimenting my child for being cute, and your companion for being endearing, their rapport rising swiftly.

After the pleasantries, they got to know each other better, fostering friendship, even exchanging contact details and inviting each other over for a visit.

"Meeting is fate, Brother Xie."

Ji Jue reluctantly held onto the other's hand, "Interested in joining together?"

"Sorry, I really don't have the time."

Xie Lan shook his head decisively and glanced back at the 'zombies,' "So many rare cases, this is the first I've seen since my advanced studies at the hospital, haven't even had time to research, no time for anything else.

Plus, having used them for experiments, I need to take them out intact... would be such a waste to lose any now."

"Indeed."

Ji Jue nodded, sighing with regret.

"By the way, if you just want to get out, just wait a little longer."

Before leaving, Xie Lan looked down at the only survivor twitching on the ground, "Thanks to these guys, this Time Ruins won't last much longer.

But, if you want to go to the hospital building, be careful. It's already a highly contaminated area, and there's a bunch of nutcases from the Evil Cult... no telling what chaos they might cause."

"Safety first, safety first, right? How could we just recklessly wander," Ji Jue nodded in agreement, the two sharing a smile and then waving goodbye. A few steps later, they turned back and waved again without planning to.

Thus repeating, every few steps a backward glance.

Finally back at the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Tong Hua barely had time to berate their quick heated neurotic affair before seeing Ji Jue's expression collapse within.

Just like Xie Lan in the hallway outside.

"Tsck!"

Two sighs echoed in unison within the hospital, ghastly as a specter.

So much material, and no chance to make a move?

"What a pity..."

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